good morning. dead on arrival. the house votes on a debt deal, but the senate quickly kills. now it's just 72 hours before the deadline. it's a pressure-packed weekend in search of a compromise can both sides find common ground before the clock runs out? to the extreme. it is a month to remember filled with a record heatwave and a devastating drought that consuming the south, from heavy rains in the midwest to the violent thunderstorms along the east. july is ending with another bout of brutal weather. and jumping the shark, on tape and unbelievable. a man leaps from his boat and on to an enormous shark. what was he thinking? we'll find out when he ask him, live, "today," saturday july we'll find out when he ask him, live, "today," saturday july 30th, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television from nbc news, this is

"today," with lester holt and amy robach, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everyone, welcome to "today" on a saturday, i'm lester holt. >> and i'm amy robach. we have heard of jumping the shark and riding a dolphin, but how about riding a shark? >> it probably seemed like a good idea at the time. >> really? >> i guess this giant shark, second largest fish, this particular species, second largest fish out there was swimming around his boat and he thought what would it be like? but notice how quickly he turns back and starts swimming become. >> realized it was a bad idea. >> a lot of great whites in the area. we'll find out more about what he was thinking later on. the story we're all talking about, the debt ceiling, the president said in his weekly address we're almost out of time, the deadline three days away and it comes with both sides still unwilling to compromise. >> right. lawmakers in both parties said they were determined to avoid a default, yet there was very little evidence of progress or even significant negotiations. republicans and democrats will be working down to the wire this

weekend with a vote expected at 1:00 a.m. sunday morning. can a deal be reached? we'll find out. then we look a crime spree. this week marks the 30th anniversary of the terror that gripped new york city with a serial killer that gunned down his victims. this morning, we'll look back on the murder spree and also share with you a letter we received from the son of sam himself, david burke wits. >> many are fans of the show antiqu antiques road show. one man hit the jackpot with a rare collection of chinese bowls. they were valued at $1.5 million. how did he get them, and what should he do with them? we're going to talk to the owner, live, in just a few moments. >> i would have soled them right away, but that's me. we'll find out more coming up. let's begin in washington with a standoff over the debt ceiling, a partisan divide, neither side willing to compromise. they both seem to be at square one after the senate killed the

house. what the house voted on friday. we want to begin with live at the white house. mike, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. after another day of high drama over the debt, the public posturing continued into the night last night. but now as congress prepares to work through the weekend and those back-room negotiations continue at a furious pace, a resolution to this crisis could be in sight. it is a temporary triumph, but when it was finally at hand, a defiant speaker john boehner lashed out on the floor. >> i stuck my neck out a mile to try to get an agreement with the president of the united states. and i put revenues on the table. >> reporter: after weeks of fruitless talks with the white house, boehner attacked mr. obama and democrats, while demanding that they help find a way to avoid default. >> but it is time for our colleagues across the aisle to tell us what they're for. tell us how we can end this

crisis. >> reporter: after hours of back-room fighting, boehner added to his spending cuts, more palatable for house conservatives, but a poison pill in the senate. with the boehner bill dead on arrival there, harry reid submitted his own plan. >> the plan is to work off our bill. it's time for us to be adults. that's what the american people want. it's time to come together and compromise. that's what the american people want, and that's what we need to do. >> reporter: as the drama played out, president obama pushed lawmakers to find a solution. >> so there are plenty of ways out of this mess. but we are almost out of time. >> reporter: and he urged voters to turn up the heat on republicans. >> make a phone call, send an e-mail, tweet. >> reporter: his 2012 campaign office gave out the twitter sites of top gop lawmakers nationwide. and for the second time in a week, capitol phone lines were jammed. >> people will call in and be waiting anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes. >> as the clock ticks, the

senate will work all weekend in search of a deal. >> compromise is not a bad word. so it's time for us to act together and we hold our arms out to my republican colleagues. >> reporter: and lester, the key to all of this is senate republicans. if harry reid can come to some sort of accommodation with even a handful of them, get to that magic number of 60 in the senate, that crucial vote scheduled for 1:00 sunday morning. lester? >> mike, thanks. his weekly address release this morning, the president said the country must be able to pay its bills and that any deal has to be bipartisan. the president added that a failure to reach an agreement would be inexcusable, and a self-inflicted wound by washington. chuck todd is nbc's chief white house correspondent. chuck, good morning. >> good morning, lester. >> for two days, the president has said the two sides really aren't that far apart. is he right? >> they aren't that far apart. the key sticking point is this issue of raising the debt limit, large enough, big enough, so that it gets us through 2012, gets us into the spring of 2013.

right now, of course, the boehner bill and what republicans were supporting would have this debt limit come to another vote in the next -- >> at this point in time -- >> harry reid wants to do is simply figure out a way to satisfy the second round of deficit reduction, create a stronger trigger potentially, whatever he can come to, to get more republicans to support his way in order to get this debt limit passed 2012. i think he's going to come to an agreement. the question is, how big of an agreement is it? is it an agreement that barely gets the eight republicans he wants? or does it get 20 republicans and sends a strong, bipartisan message to make sure this thing doesn't get gummed up again in the house. >> does he have a dance partner in terms of a republican willing to negotiate? >> reporter: he's got a few dance partners potentially, but right now he's not working very well with mitch mcconnell. that's not clear. but don't be surprised. there are a couple ways this could play out today.

harry reid and mitch mcconnell do come to an agreement on some form on what to do about this second debt limit vote and this trigger. they refile a bill, and maybe everything gets pushed back about 24 hours, so instead of 1:00 in the morning sunday, the reid bill -- this revamped bill would be 1:00 in the morning monday. and they would speed up the process a little bit so they could get it passed by monday still, and get it into the house and get it into their hands. because they probably need a full 24 hours. or reid does go it alone and has to pick off moderate republicans, other republicans like john soon of south dakota, bob corker of tennessee who have indicated they're tired of this, they'll cut a deal, gives them just enough. but it could just eke out of the senate and that would make things really precarious in the house, lester. >> anecdotally, i think people are uniformly upset and blame various parties here, but they're mad. and we see people making those phone calls. are there deaf ears right now?

on capitol hill and in the white house to what the public is thinking and saying? >> reporter: it's not that they're deaf. i think this is one of those cases where, well, we know they're mad, this is the way it works here, it's ugly. it's always -- we know you would never want to go there, or you would never eat sausage again. that's their mind-set and they think they just have to get through this. but i do think you see advisers telling them you know what, this one is different. this one is bigger. be very careful here. i think both parties are losing a lot of luster. they're already unpopular. they're both taking on water. one could argue just one is taking on water faster right now than the other. and i think that that's the -- that's maybe the signal they're missing. >> certainly not pleasant to watch. chuck todd, thanks very much. now here's amy. lester, thank you. let's look at the big picture on how this possible default could

impact you and your family. let's bring in a eamon javers. >> good morning. >> what can we expect with the market leading up to tuesday? >> as much as of a mess this looks like over the weekend, i think the market is looking for just about any exit it can get through this emergency, and they would like to see some kind of deal happen. so if we are voting over the weekend, if it does look like we're on a path to a solution here and they're going to raise the debt ceiling, i think you could see a positive reaction in the market, because we have had such a big selloff over the past several days as the market gets more and more nervous about what's going on here in washington. at this point, amy, they'll take any deal that's on the table. >> i'm sure. let's play worst-case scenario here. if the deal isn't passed by tuesday, how quickly would we see a financial impact on the united states? >> i think if you see a deal where it has not come together, things are falling apart in washington, we will continue to see a selloff in the dow, and that could be a real problem. and then also you can see the

credit rating agencies begin to step in and threaten to say we're going to downgrade u.s. debt and that's a problem for the entire financial system, because u.s. debt as it turns out is sort of the peg for interest rates and everything else in the financial system. u.s. debt is considered to be the least risky investment you could possibly make anywhere in the financial universe. if that turns out to be more risky than anyone thought, well then they've got to reprice everything else throughout the system, and that's got ripplel effects throughout the whole market. >> right. so if we lost our aaa credit rating, the average american would be impacted by what, car rates, interest loans, everything you need to borrow money for? >> yes, as a result, go up throughout the economy. so if you're trying to buy a house right now, trying to buy a car, anything you want to finance, you're going to have some trouble. and because people will have trouble borrowing, then you'll see less economic activity. companies will be able to sell less, and then, of course, you'll see less hiring. and that's what it's all about in this economy right now, is getting the jobs picture fixed. >> right. and so people with investments,

especially retirement funds, is this something where you want to ride it out or i'm sure a lot of people are thinking maybe i should just run and get my cash and put it in my mattress at this point. >> yeah, look. i'm an eternal optimist. i feel like there's a path here now to a deal on monday or tuesday, and they'll get this thing done. but look, amy, i've been wrong before. i wouldn't offer financial advice at this point. i mean, this is a little bit scary. and that's why you've seen that selloff in the market over the last couple days as people look at this and go, whoa, i'm going to back off and see what happens here. >> all right. eamon javers, thank you so much. the warnings were out, but in the end, tropical storm don spared texas a direct hit. that's good news along the coast. it may not help the state's prolonged drought, and one being felt in many parts of the country. nbc's janet shamlian is in a rainy houston. sounds good, janet. >> reporter: good morning, lester. yeah, you know it's bad when you're cheering for the tropical storm to actually come ashore in your state. but don did nothing to alleviate

the drought in texas. and you mentioned the showers we're having right now. these are very brief, and they're not making a dent in the drought, either. this is an epic drought. the last nine months have been the driest in the state's history. and right now, it would take something like 17 inches of rain just to get us back to normal. weeks on end of triple-digit temperatures. and in most areas, months without measurable rain has turned texas into a dust bowl. and it's spawning these tornado-like dust devils, amid the worst dry spell in decades. from space, nasa photos show a parched landscape. >> i have never in my 30 years in weather seen a drought like this one. >> reporter: this map shows the spread from texas, oklahoma and new mexico, now into southern colorado and kansas. >> dry, no rain. just no grass. need the rain bad. >> reporter: as crops burn and lakes dry up, economists say

agriculture losses just in texas could top $8 billion. double last month's prediction. >> when drought effects here, we see it in everything from the prices in the clothes we wear to the clothes we eat. >> reporter: ranchers are going to auction early because there is no food. and from already suffering wildlife, a new problem. rabies. the number of rabies cases in central texas has more than doubled since last year. as food and water sources dry up, and animals are more likely to interact and infect each other. >> we need to remember they carry diseases for both people and animals. >> reporter: suffering in the heat that has already done much damage this summer season. it doesn't help when the heat is on, it's going to be 99 degrees here in houston today, a heat index of 104, and the forecast is essentially the same day after day. this region could use a good drenching. don did not provide it. but lester, the hurricane season

is young. >> yes, janet shamlian, thanks very much. amy? >> let's get a closer look at the drought. bill karins joins us with an update. good morning. >> good morning, everyone. some people are calling it don the did you do, dud, i'm calling it don the disappointment. it didn't materialize. we have been showing this drought map for weeks if not months. the deep red is where the worst of the drought is. let me explain what happened. texas right now is the equivalent of a pizza oven. typically, a tropical storm would be like throwing a bucket of water in a pizza oven, cool it off, trait steam. this storm was like throwing a wet napkin in the pizza oven. no effect. literally evaporated faster than any storm i've ever seen as it moved inland. everyone is wondering, what's next. not much. in the atlantic, it will curve into the atlantic, not heading into the gulf. the only thing i can promise people in texas, you will cool down in september, lester and amy. it's called autumn. >> all right, bill, thank you. richard lui is at the news

desk with more of today's top stories. good morning. >> good morning. we begin in libya where nato planes bombed three transmitters. they were being used to threaten civilians. reuters, however, reports state television was still on the air after that nato statement. this comes after the rebels military chief was found dead on thursday, now five months since the campaign began to force gadhafi out. citizens in norway marking the anniversary of the deadly bomb attacks. the nation's prime minister leading the memorial service as officials place the death toll now at 77. this as one of the blast survivors made an amazing return to work. a warning here for you, this image may be disturbing. lena was injured when the blast sent a foot-long piece of wood into her head, and miraculously, did not pierce her brain and required only stitches. now in somalia are some 7

million people are fighting for their lives. friday, president obama met with leaders from african countries saying the crisis has not gotten the attention from the u.s. it deserves. sew mallians are suffering from the worst drought in 60 years. the u.n. saying thousands desperate for help crossed the border in kenya in search of relief from refugee camps. back at home, officials are trying to figure out how two delta planes collided at o'hare airport. they clipped wings as they were backing away from their gates. no one was injured. the planes from were grounded for inspection. and thank heaven no one was hurt here. this teenage driver takes a mild right turn in a parking lot, but doesn't stop, ramming into a 7-eleven store. police think it was youthful inexperience, or maybe he was thinking it was a drive-thru. by the way, this is the third car in this town to crash into a store in 24 hours. how about that for you? lester and amy, back to you.

>> bad statistics. >> i think someone just lost his driving privileges. >> insurance a little higher. bill karins with our next check of the forecast. >> 104 yesterday in dallas. talking about texas ridiculously hot in the mid atlantic yesterday, raleigh to d.c. you're getting a cooloff today if you call 90s cool. that's what kind of summer it's been. saying it's cool at 90s. storms in minneapolis north wards up to duluth into northern wisconsin and monsoonal showers continue in the west. but overall, a pretty quiet weather map and the headline being don didn't really do anything in texas. that's a look >> good morning. a nice morning this morning. a little on the warm side. a scattering of clouds. our forecast calls for a lot of clouds. sun. still humid, not as hot,

that's a look at your weekend forecast. lester? >> all right, bill, thanks. it was in july 2009 that iran seized three young american hikers. one of them, sarah shourd, was freed last september, but shane bauer and josh fattal still remain in custody. it could be a major turning point in their ordeal as they go to court to face charges on espionage and illegal entry into the country. joining us now are sarah shourd along with josh fattal's mother and brother alex. thank you so much for being on. sara, when you were released 11 months ago now, did you assume that the other two would follow very quickly? >> of course i did. i never imagined in my worst nightmare that they would be there a month or two longer than i was. >> and was that because of things that were said at the

time, or was it just a basic assumption? >> immediately after he was released, the chief made a statement saying i was released because they convinced the judiciary i was incapable of espionage, which is of course true. and shane and josh are equally incapable. none of us speaks a word of the language, we had no equipment, it was clear we were just tourists and just hiking and meant no harm. >> tell me about the communications. what do you hear from tehran? how much contact do you have with them? >> we don't have any direct contact with tehran at all. i write letters to josh every single day, and i know sarah and alex write letters to josh and shane every single day. i'm up to my 729th letter. tomorrow is the two-year mark, the mark of the day of their detention, and the day of their trial. so i have been writing, because i know that's very, very important for josh and for shane, because that's their only communication with the outside

world. >> let's talk about tomorrow. it's a big day as we noted, because there have been statements made by judiciary officials in iran, suggesting that this could be decided. what are you hearing and what are your expectations? >> well, we -- the public prosecutor has made a statement saying a final decision would be made. and that they're very hopeful that will happen. so, of course, shane and josh have been waiting for a trial for 22 months was the first time that we were told by our investigators that we were going to trial. we have been waiting a long time for this. and we hope that it's the end. >> laura and alex, do you walk a little bit of a tight rope here in that, you know, for better or worse, that's their system of justice? and is there any fear of inflaming iranian authorities? >> well, at this point, we have initiated an intensive period of prayer. we held a very moving rally yesterday outside of the iranian mission to the united nations. it was a rally of peace in the spirit of compassion and humanitarianism, and our call has always been to the iranian people who are brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers,

sons and daughters and to say, look at shane and josh for who they are, the good deeds they have done across the world and as human beings. >> but is this about shane and josh, or is it really about iranian-american relations? >> all we can do is repeat our appeals and calls and we know it is a final hearing and we're confident the iranian judiciary will finally do the right thing. >> and sara, the statements -- you noted there have been statements suggesting obviously this could be the final decision but also suggesting innocence. do you think the iranians are just looking for a face-saving way out of this? >> well, that's what we're praying for. we're praying that the time for compassion has finally come. >> and you hold no bitterness against the iranian authorities. >> oh, i really don't. i spent the best year of my life in the middle east. and i hold absolutely nothing -- no bitterness against the people in the middle east. and i know that shane and josh will feel the same way. >> and i know you'll be expecting a big call -- important call tomorrow from the lawyer in tehran. >> yeah, and the trial is at

10:00 in tehran on sunday morning. so for us in the east coast of the united states, it will be started about 1:30 in the morning for us. >> well, we will obviously be paying close attention for that. thank you all so much for coming on and talking with us this morning. >> thank you. we're back in a moment. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

still to come on "today," touch of evil. we'll go back in time 35 years and look back on the son of sam and his killing spree. plus, a "today" exclusive. the man who left his boat to go riding on a shark. but first, these messages.

>> good morning. i'm jennifer franciotti. the time now is 7:25. here's a look at some of our top stories. two people are wounded in an early morning shooting in west baltimore. police arrived on the scene at

the intersection of druid hills avenue and west hoffman street. initial indications are the victims were wounded by a shotgun plaft. no word on their eye identities or conditions at this time. >> a body was found before 11:00 a.m. at north gay and east preston streets in east baltimore. the victim is an older man who was shot and then put in the trunk of a car. right now police are searching for a suspect and a motive. >> one man recovering after a helicopter crash in harford county yesterday. maryland state police say they responded to the 4100 block of conowingo road. the 45-year-old pilot was transported to the hospital with injuries mple -- injuries. >> the helicopter appears to have extensive damage, however the pilot and the owner state that the pilot had already landed the helicopter, was going

through a normal powering down procedure when, in their words, something happened. >> there is no word on exactly what caused that crash. troopers say the f.a.a. is investigating. >> the presidential historian charged with stealing documents will stay in federal custody over the weekend. prosecutors say 63-year-old barry landeau is a flight risk and might try to destroy evidence if released. a judge agreed to release his assistant on $200,000 bail. the two were accused of stealing documents including papets papers -- including papers

>> good morning. a few clouds this morning. some sprinkles. out to the west of us an indication of a few sprinkles in those clouds. rain is not an element in the forecast. these are false echos. our rain chances are just about nil. humidity still up. barometer rising. west wind at 5 miles per hour. you can see on the satellite an indication of those clouds and sprinkles and showers to the west. our forecast for today, really rain chances around baltimore. it will be hot today, but not as humid. 90 to 95 for the high. a similar situation tomorrow. >> thank you, john. thanks for joining us.

we're back in 25 minutes with another update. skeel see you then. we are back on this saturday morning, july 30th, 2011. it was a wild night of heavy rain and thunderstorms here in new york. but we have plenty of sunshine to start off the weekend. and we have a great crowd out here on our plaza. we want to thank them for spending part of our morning with us. we're going to go outside and say hi in a couple minutes. but first inside studio 1a, i'm amy robach along with lester holt, and coming up, we are talking about a missing girl. where is selena? >> the fbi has joined the search for missing is celina cass. she was last seen working on a computer in her bedroom monday night. we head live to new hampshire in a few minutes. and on a much lighter note, the tv show "antiques roadshow" gives people a chance to find

treasure among their collectibles. one oklahoma man got the shock of a lifetime when his collection of chinese bowls received the show's highest value appraisal ever. wait until you hear how much. that's coming up. then take a look at this piece of video. you're watching -- you're watching -- you're watching a man jump out of the boat, and on to the back of a huge shark. yeah, that's exactly what he did. many are asking one simple question. why? well, this morning, we'll find out when we talk exclusively to the man who literally jumped the shark coming up. >> jumped on the shark, right? >> it apparently came under his boat, you saw it, and he got on its back. >> and this wasn't a little shark. this was a huge specimen. >> yeah, it's -- i heard 30 feet. i'm not sure if that's official, but it's a big fish. >> okay. looking forward to that answer. but first, want to begin the half hour with one of the most infamous serial killers in modern history. the son of sam. yesterday was the 35th anniversary of the start of his reign of terror, and one that continues to haunt new york.

it was a mad man with a .44. a psychopath whose cryptic letters gave him a thrill and a name. the son of sam. between 1976 and 1977, he turned the streets of new york into his hunting ground. this week marks the 35th anniversary of his murder spree. the terror began in the early morning hours of july 29th, 1976, 18-year-old donna loria, who lived in this bronx apartment building with her family, was sitting outside in a parked car right about here, talking with a friend. she noticed a man standing nearby. without a word, that man pulled out a .44 caliber handgun from a brown paper bag and opened fire. donna was killed instantly. her friends survived. over the next 13 months, 5 more lives would be cut down, six others injured. the city was on edge, and the headline had stories of the unknowned gunman. >> the son of sam case. he never robbed or raped.

he simply killed. at random, in cold blood. >> the manhunt eventually led to a 24-year-old postal worker named david berkowitz. with the help of a palm print, a parking ticket and a ballistics match, berke wits was arrested outside his home and the nightmare was over. >> i walked into that room with full intentions of whacking this guy, at least punching him out. >> retired homicide detective joe coffee led the search for the son of sam, and it was coffee who was one of the first to interrogate him. >> he didn't blink for three hours, and he had a constant smile on his face. >> coffee says the motive was borne out of the death of berkowitz's adoptive mother and his hatred of women. >> the night we caught him on the in his back seat was a fully loaded machine gun. he was going to mow down as many people he could kill.

>> berkowitz says he has undergone a religious transformation, becoming born again, and in a recent interview, he expressed remorse for the murders. >> but i would like to be remembered as a person, you know, again, who is sorry for what happened and is doing everything in his power to try to make amends to society in any way possible. >> 35 years later, a serial killer asking for forgiveness for an act of evil that many will never forget. we reached out to berkowitz to, you know, for the preparation of the story. he actually replied, sent us a letter, expressing remorse. he says, quote, only god knows how much i regret what happened in 1976, 1977. i too am in anguish over it and wish i could go back in time to have prevented it. surprised to hear from him. >> it's still probably little solace. >> i wasn't living here at the time, but you talk to folks who were and people weren't going out. >> well, it was random and you don't know when and where.

it's scary to go to the grocery store. >> police couldn't develop a pattern of where he was hitting. the city was in fear. time for a check of the weather now. let's go outside to bill karins on the plaza. good morning. >> good morning. this girl behind me has me cracking up. this is their bachelorette weekend. i've heard of pub crawls before, but they are doing the new york city cupcake crawl, going to the different cupcake cases. what's your favorite flavor you're getting? >> probably -- i heard there's smore cupcakes. >> this is tame. you're up early. i'm sure your fiance is doing something similar, right? >> he has his tonight in cleveland. >> i'm sure it will be nice and tame, right? >> his will be better. >> oh. maybe a little more detail we haven't gotten to. let's talk about the weather forecast out during the day today. we are seeing temperatures a little better. 95, cool in d.c. baltimore yesterday was 101. richmond up to 103. raleigh and charlotte hit 100 yesterday. your temperatures will be down just a little bit. and as we look in the middle of the country, the heat continues.

wet weather to cool you off, you have to go to the inner mountain west areas and arizona and also new mexico. may cool you off a little bit with some afternoon showers. that's a l >> good morning. a little warm this morning. haze in the atmosphere as we look at the j.f.x. expressway. maybe an isolated storm of course, i've got to wish you a happy 6th birthday. congratulations. back to you, amy and lester. >> bill, thanks. up next, swimming with the sharks. a "today" show exclusive with a man who took a ride on a real ocean monster. plus, smooth criminal. it's one of the hottest shows on cable, it's called "white collar," and we are on the set with the show's stars.

but first, these messages. l mic. if you have painful, swollen joints, i've been in your shoes. one day i'm on p of the world... the next i'm saying... i have this thing called psoriatic arthritis. i had some intense pain. it progressively got worse. my rheumatologist told me about enbrel. i'm surprised how quickly my symptoms have been managed. [ male announcer ] because enbrel suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. get back to the things that matter most. good job girls. ask your rheumatologist if enbrel is right for you.

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for most of us, the closest we would ever want to get to a shark is by watching the movie "jaws" but then there is eric jacobs. that's him on the boat off massachusetts, and that's he jumping into the water right on top of a very large shark. the video has made him an internet sensation, and has a lot of folks wondering what in the world is he thinking? let's find out. eric jacobs is a shark-jumper and joins us from massachusetts. good morning, eric. good to see you.

>> good morning. >> first of all, that i understand, is a basking shark, which is not a danger to humans. but did you know that when it lurked around your boat? >> i knew that once we came upon it, yes. i thought it was a great white at first, but then we realized it was a basking shark. >> and it had apparently been swimming around your boat for a while. let's get right to the question. what caused you to jump in? >> well, once we came upon it, we stayed with it for about 20 minutes, and i got really comfortable with it. and i had to get into the water. i had to feel the experience of swimming in the water with this shark. and it was the perfect situation. it came under the boat, and i jumped on top of it, i grabbed the back fin for a couple seconds. it was really slimy. i would have stayed on it for about 30 seconds, but then i was like, oh, my god, i'm in the water with great white sharks. so i swam back to the boat like michael phelps. you've never seen me swim as fast as i did back to the boat.

>> we'll see you in the olympics. you say there are great white sharks in the area. had you spotted them? >> a year ago in that exact same spot, we spotted a 12-foot female great white shark, yeah. they're loaded over there. there's 3,000 seals that will not go away and the great whites are here to stay. >> as we noted, the basking shark, i think it's a plankton eater or filter fish, so, again, humans are not on its menu. but did it react to you at all? >> i think it -- it kind of jumped a little bit when i got on it. but i wasn't worried about the basking. i was worried about everything else in the water after i got into the water. >> and we're looking at some photographs with you holding other sharks that you have caught. you are a fisherman. you know these waters pretty well, don't you? is. >> i do. i've been fishing my entire life. >> you're getting some grief for all of this. how are you doing with all of that? >> i'm fine. everything is good here. >> yeah, would you do this

again? >> no doubt in the world. >> really? but you said it was slick, and you couldn't hold on to it. so would you -- would you do something different? >> i would wear gloves next time, for sure. >> by the way, who was shooting all of this, and what did your friends say about this when they saw this video? >> oh, this is my best friend, he's part of my wolf pack, and he thinks i'm just as crazy, for sure. >> okay. i think that was his yelp we heard there. well, eric jacobs, we're glad you're no worse for wear in your adventure, and it is fascinating viewing. thanks for being with us. >> thank you. all right. up next, lights, camera, action. we're on the set of "white collar" for a behind-the-scenes look at the show and its stars after these messages. music(lyrics): ♪ whatever i have i'll share it. i'd love to give it to you. i can surely make do with less than two. and that's how sharing works.

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always looked up to their father and grandfather knowing that one day they too would make the world's best jam. grandpa says it like, i've never tasted anything so delicious! i've never tasted anything so delicious! tim: [ laughing ] you got it! male announcer: for five generations, with a name like smucker's, it has to be good.

summer used to mean reruns for television viewers and a hiatus for stars and their favorite shows. but thanks to cable, new shows are heating up the air waves all season long. i recently had had the chance to drop in on the cast of one of usa's summer hits, "white collar" and got a rare look as they filmed their upcoming season finale. >> fingerprint powder, and there you go. >> reporter: usa's "white collar" chronicles the adventures of a con man teamed up with an fbi agent to solve fraud cases. >> you look like a cartoon. >> this is classic rat pack. >> reporter: while each week this odd couple cracks a case, it's the actors' on-screen chemistry that has viewers tuning in. >> all right. prom picture. say cheese. >> cheese. >> reporter: matt bomer plays charming bad boil, neil calvary.

>> you know, when you found a kid you liked to play with and your parents had to call you five times because you didn't want to stop playing? >> reporter: co star tim dekay sas the bromance was there from the start. the show is in new york city, and is something of a rarity, because it is actually filmed here. you're doing it here in the city, not in l.a. but you're actually here. you're in queens. >> yeah. we're in long island city, baby, holding it down. >> reporter: where a sound stage serv serves as the fbi office, it takes longer than a new york minute to shoot. each one-hour episode equals seven days of filming. the call time is typically about 6:00 a.m., and the days run 12 to 14 hours. >> cut. we'll do one more. >> guest star bo bridges says that's actually faster than most shows. >> for me, it's like jumping on a running train. these guys -- they turn it out. >> reporter: despite the pace, dekay it's says it's a relaxed

set. >> we're free and open with each other and have a good time. i think that permeates throughout all of the set. doesn't it? see how well they responded to me? >> reporter: willie garson who plays the crafty con man took me on a tour of the sound stage. >> we're outside now. >> reporter: okay. >> okay, we're not really outside at all. >> reporter: but you think we are. look at that skyline, though. the magic of lighting transforms this phony back drop into a stellar view. >> it moved. yeah, nicer than the other place, don't you think? >> reporter: from a manhattan rooftop to the brownstones of brooklyn, at fbi agent burke's house. >> what's fantastic about this photo, this is actually tiffani and her real husband, with tim's head on it. this is my favorite shot. >> superimposed it. >> because it looks completely ridiculous. >> i came to talk to you and -- frankly, peter, i have to say i'm surprised you have such an amazing wife. yeah, i like her. get off my couch.

>> reporter: when not in queens, the crew can be found on location in manhattan. >> be quiet for rehearsal. >> reporter: where stand-ins who look sort of like the actors are used to set camera positions and each scene is rehearsed, followed by two or three takes by up to five different camera angles. back in the fbi bull pen, the long day of filming is winding down. we hear this is the time the cast has been known to break into song. >> yesterday was "greatest love of all." >> you know, if morale is low, we've got to bring it up with a cheesy '80s power ballad. >> we sing a lot of jingles like "t "the . ♪ the best part of wakin up >> with that, we leave the cast in the heart of the city that never sleeps. and they actually shoot a lot around your apartment. >> i see them out there. i was more blown away by that outdoors scene that's inside. >> and it looked really

cheesy-fake when you were there, but it looked amazing on the actual show itself. the wonder of lighting. >> a lot of people think our plaza is really outside, too. it's amazing. great lighting. you can watch "white collar" tuesday nights on the usa network. and we are back. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

still to come on "today," taken from her home. the latest on the search for 11-year-old celina cass. >> and putting forensic science on trial. we are in italy as amanda knox is on trial. first, these messages. [ female announcer ] there's stuff around your house.

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>> good morning. i'm jennifer franciotti. the time now is 7:55. here is a look at our top stories. one construction worker was killed and another seriously injured after a 5-ton concrete

wall collapsed at the new arundel hills slots center. leon sacks was working on the site at 10:00 a.m. yesterday when the 30 by 40-foot wall collapsed on him. he was pronounced dead at the scene. darvin jiminez was taken to shock trauma where he is listed in critical condition. >> a 35-year-old helicopter pilot was powering down after putting down his chopper on the site at 3500 road and conowingo in darling ton. shortly after he landed, the helicopter began shaking violently. it is unclear if fuel lines caused the problem. we're told his injuries are not life threatening. >> the county is looking to shut down boomer's bar after a second stabbing there in a week.

a woman stabbed last night on the dance floor and last week jack powell was charged with first-degree attempted murder for a stabbing. these incidents have the county looking into whether the club can be shut down under the county's padlock law. >> police need your help finding the driver in a hit-and-run. another driver snapped this picture of the car moments after it hit a man on a bike on tuesday night. the driver left the scene. it happened just before 8:00 on east college parkway on bayhead road in annapolis. the victim was seriously injuried and is recovering from his injuries at shock trauma. call 1-866-7-lock-up if you have information.

>> good morning. the sun is out this morning. it is being filtered by a few clouds here and there. a little boundary moving to our south on a weak front. no rain. that is to the west of us. slightly less humid air to the north. that is what is coming in. our tsms today -- our toms today will be our temperatureses today will be climbing. still a hot day. with lower humidity and temperatures backing off by 100 degrees, it will be a little more comfortable. still a hot one. not as humid. partly cloudy. 90 to 95 for the high. a northwest breeze at 7 to 12 miles per hour. >> thank you for joining us. we're back at 8:25 for another

update. welcome back to "today," july 30th, 2011, saturday morning. the storm clouds have parted. >> i got caught right in the middle of a rain storm last night. >> that explains my bad hair this morning. anyway, outside the plaza, i'm lester holt along with amy robach. coming up, we turn our attention to the latest development in the search for celina cass. >> this is a mystery that continues to baffle police. the 11-year-old girl was home monday night, on her computer. that, authorities say, was the last time she was ever seen or heard from. her friends say she would never leave home by herself. so where is she? we'll have new details on this disturbing case in just a few moments. we've also been following the case of amanda knox, her appeals case, startling

testimony about dna. the appeal comes after the dna experts attacked the way the police handled forensic evidence that helped convict her. today those experts will be cross-examined by both sides. what does it mean for her case? we'll get a live report from outside the courthouse in a few minutes. plus, take a look at this. an oklahoma man brought some bowls to the antiques road show. he wanted an assistant on their value, and boy, did he get one. they are worth $1.5 million. that is an all-time record for the show. and look at that. we have the high-priced bowls right here in the studio, along with their owner. plus, we're going to ask a financial expert on what he should do with them. lester says, sell! >> take the money. >> exactly. >> i love stories like that. something lying around the house. who knows? i'm just too lazy to do thinking about it, you know? >> mine are probably worth nothing anyway, so what does it matter? >> richard lui is standing by at the news desk with another check of the morning headlines. hey, richard. >> good morning, everyone. it's three more days before

reaching the deadline to raise the nation's debt. nbc's at the white house. >> reporter: yesterday another day of high drama capped a week and political posturing into the night last night. yesterday, the house passed that boehner bill. that would allow the debt ceiling to rise. however, it came with a price in order to get tea party conservatives on board. john boehner, the speaker of the house, had to add what senate republicans and democrats or what democrats in the senate regard as a poison pill, a balanced budget amendment to the constitution. it put it over in the house. it had enough votes, passed late yesterday, but dead on arrival in the senate. and richard, it may sound ridiculous to say with all of this bewhich woulding procedure and the political back and forth, the path now seems actually a little bit clearer. harry reid, the democratic leader in the senate, has submitted his own plan. he did so late last night. now the trick is, can he get enough senate republicans to get on board? he needs at least seven, possibly more. there are furious negotiations going on behind the scenes right

now into the weekend. both the house and the senate are going to be in session. the first vote -- the first critical test of the senate plan comes in the wee hours tonight, 1:00 a.m. on sunday morning. then we'll have a clearer idea of where this thing is going. but whatever the case, richard, even in a best-case scenario, this is going to go right down to the wire on tuesday. very little question about it. >> very late night. break out the pizzas. the fbi has joined the investigation into a series of sexual assaults near the university of michigan in ann arbor. authorities released a sketch of a suspected serial rapist they believe might be on the loose near the campus. six women have been attacked while walking alone late at night. this while the school is welcoming thousands of freshman for orientation. in chicago, officials are trying to figure out how two delta planes collided. they clipped wings as they were backing away from the gates. no one was injured. the planes were grounded for inspection. this is at least the third time

in as many months that two passenger planes have collided while on the ground. and now to the u.k. where royal wedding preparations are under way. and no, this is not an old script. there is another set of nuptials set to take place. for more on that, we turn to nbc's stephanie gosk following it all for us. good morning, stephanie. >> reporter: good morning, richard. it won't be as big, but still going to be big. the wedding is scheduled to take place in a couple hours at this church right behind me. it is the queen's oldest granddaughter marrying the captain of the england rugby team. there is a guest list of 400. contrast that to the nearly 2,000 people that attended william and catherine's wedding three months ago. the entire royal entourage is in attendance, including the newlyweds themselves, the duke and touchess of cambridge, as well as prince harry. after the ceremony, they're going to the queen's residence in edinboro, the party expected to last until about 2:00 a.m. the entire wedding party was on the decks of the royal yacht

brit annia last night, taking advantage of the rare scottish sunshine, on deck sipping champagne. she is 13th in line to the throne, but one of the queen's favorites. she and her husband aren't going on honeymoon, because they need to train for their mutual events. richard? >> stephanie, thank you so much on a beautiful day there in scotland. and finally, we love our animals on this show, so take a look at a puppy with acting skills. rosy with her pal, running around like a loose wheel after two catch-me-if-you-can fly-byes. rosy gets a friendly peck on the neck and falls like a rock. is she dead? nope. s she peaks to see what her pal is doing. rosy is known for her attention-seeking antics. let's send it out to amy. a lot of fun there. >> maybe the dog had bad breath and knocked her over. that's a possibility.

richard, thank you very much. bill karins is here on the plaza and i've got to say, what a beautiful morning. >> gorgeous here. not everywhere, though. talk about gorgeous people. look at this. i think i found lester's number-one fan. lester holt, you're my dream boechlt she asked me not to talk to her, she said she gets emotional and speechless. yes, it does say it all. can't see lester -- maybe blushing right now. let's take a look at your forecast today. and the heatwave is brutal in texas, the 28th day in a row of 100-degree heat in dallas and the record all-time, 42 days in a row. so nearly every day this month, dallas, texas has been 100 degrees. that's going to continue into august. the heat ridge is building over the top of texas and the heatwave will be the worst through the middle of the country. it doesn't look like it's going anywhere any time soon. >> good morning. a nice morning this morning. a little on the warm side. a scattering of clouds. our forecast calls for a lot of

clouds. sun. still humid, not as hot, t lester's fan club all over the place here. i don't know why he eats snake. >> long story. last month, 11-year-old celina cass was in her new hampshire home. her family says on her computer. but in the morning, she was gone and a massive search is on to find her. nbc's michelle franzen is live in stewart'stown, new hampshire with more on the story. michelle, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. investigators are expected to be back here at the command center this morning for a briefing. and then possibly out searching again. but rain is moving in. it adds to the challenges here of challenging terrain, as well

as few tips to go on. so far investigators have not been able to rule out any thing or anyone. standing out. hundreds of volunteers walk through miles of tall brush, and wooded terrain near west stuartstown, new hampshire, searching for 11-year-old celina cass. up above, investigators used a helicopter equipped with a high-tech camera to scan the area. nearby, the community school serves as a command center, where more than 100 investigators map out their day, follow up on tips and chase new leads. but after nearly a week, still no breaks in the case. >> simply do not know where she is located at this time, or how she got to wherever she is. >> reporter: new hampshire attorney general jane young says cass was last seen monday night, on the computer, at her family's home. the girl's mom and stepfather have not spoken publicly, but young says they, along with hundreds of others, have been

interviewed. >> they have been cooperative with us. we have met with them multiple times a day, trying desperately to bring back their child. >> reporter: there is little to go on, even at the house, where the fbi looked for clues and collected items. investigators are also researching the family's computer and phone records. experts say likely their best lead. >> i think one of the keys to cracking this case is to figure out exactly how she got off the computer. >> reporter: the investigation now stretches beyond the home and this town of 800 to nearby vermont and across the border to canada, just a mile away. meanwhile, neighbors are helping any way they can, searching, posting flyers, even bringing food to the command center. but residents who once felt safe -- >> it's rough for the community. >> reporter: now have a new worry. while they wait and pray that cass will be found. >> we will not stop searching for you until you are back in

our arms. >> reporter: investigators have also told us that spotty cell phone services in this area have also hampered their investigation, just a bit, slowing them down. and that's because cell service is spotty. we've had a problem here. they've had to return to passing notes in the field, and that's taking up a lot of time in their investigation, as well. lester. nbc's michelle franzen, thanks. so what could have happened to selena? with us is criminologist casey jordan. you have used the term nothingness in this case. quite disturbing. explain what you mean by that. >> remember, she disappeared monday night. there is no sign of a struggle. it's what we call a mysterious disappearance, no clues released by the police. and here we are on saturday morning, knowing almost nothing more than we knew on monday night. in other words, there are no clues. it's just the biggest clue is that so far the police are not telling us anything. >> no evidence that she ran away, no evidence of an abduction. there have been reports that celina's stepfather had a

history of mental issues and domestic violence. but no one has been called a suspect, no one has been called a person of interest. but typically, do families become the immediate focus in these sorts of things? >> that's correct. and we saw a family spokesperson -- there is nothing wrong with that, some people are camera-shy. but in most cases you see the family coming out and begging the media for attention. weeping mothers, people with their arms around each other, imploring the public for help. and we're not seeing that in this particular case. in fact, we're hearing a lot about the stepfather, but we hear virtually nothing about the mother. so, again, you have to wonder if there is some sort of family dynamic that the police are looking carefully at, you know, there was yellow police tape around the house. and that's rather atypical in these sorts of cases. >> and she was on the computer, which may or may not be a huge clue. by now would you think they would have figured out what site she was on and whether that's a potential link to her disappearance? >> absolutely. the computer was critical, because monday night, that's where her family says they last

saw her. tuesday morning, they go to wake her up, she's not there. so the computer would have been the first order of business for police to have forensically analyzed. and with computer software, that can be done within a few hours. so again here we are five days later with the police saying nothing. if there was predators, if there was any kind of e-mail exchange that was suspicious to them, i think we would have heard about it, and we would know what direction they were going. but apparently it hasn't revealed anything worth mentioning to the public. so could have been a nonstarter. >> she lived within walking distance of the canadian border. clearly they're searching on the other side of the border, as well. but does that complicate things and raise new possibilities? >> it does raise possibilities. and certainly the canadian officials are cooperating and working in tandem. but if this were indeed an abduction case if she did perhaps meet somebody on the internet who came from canada and did take her back, that is going to complicate this search tremendously. especially -- not just from a logistical standpoint, but also from, again, two different nations cooperating, trying to get the canadians to take this

as seriously as we're trying to take it. that could really be difficult if they think that's where she has gone. >> very troubling mystery. casey jordan, thanks for coming on. >> good to be here. we're back in a moment, but first these messages. i'm good about washng my face. but sometimes i wonder... what's left behind? [ female announcer ] introducing purifying facial cleanser from neutrogena® naturals. developed with dermatologists... it's clinically proven to remove 99% of dirt and toxins and purify pores. and with natural willowbark it contains no dyes, parabens or harsh sulfates. dirt and toxins do a vanishing act and my skin feels pure and healthy. [ female announcer ] new purifying facial cleanser from the new line of neutrogena naturals. ♪ eat well, live long ♪ have a good daisy, work out, get strong ♪ [ female announcer ] enjoy the fresh, 100% natural choice in cottage cheese. ♪ have a good daisy ♪ have a good daisy

♪ have a good daisy i didn't understand it. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia -- thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain.

lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and less pain means, i can feel better and do more of what matters. [ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior, or any swelling or affected breathing or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision, or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. i found answers about fibromyalgia. then i found lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. "antiques roadshow" gives people a chance to find real treasures among their collectibl

collectibles. one man received the highest value appraisal ever. his name is doug, and he joins us along with carmen wong ulrich, personal finance expert and author of "the real cost of living." good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> and congratulations. >> thanks. >> this is truly a dream come true for anyone out there. you dig through your attic or garage and think, i wonder what this is worth? you've had these bowls for quite some time. did you ever question or wonder their value? >> well, i've got a lot of auction values and get "arts of asia" magazine every month and they had auctions in there. >> you had a feeling they were worth more than you paid? >> i knew they had gone up in value but not to that degree. >> tell me what you paid for them originally. an idea of how much we're talking. >> well, the first one i bought was this one here. and that was $500. but once i bought it, i mean, i was hooked. it was just -- i mean, to hold it and -- look at it is just -- an experience.

>> and then you got quite an experience when you learned how much they're worth. what was the number they gave you? >> between 1 and $1.5 million. >> and your reaction was what? >> well, the words that went through my mind i really couldn't say on tv. i thought, wow, now i can fix my 20-year-old roof that's leaking. >> you can do that and a little more perhaps. carmen, let's bring you in, because dog doug does have a big decision to make. lester, by the way, says to sell. what are his options? >> well, there is a consideration. because keeping objects such as this is very costly to do so. you have security issues, insurance costs. because you want to make sure that you have another rider, floater on your insurance policies. you have to keep them outside your home and you know this already. you can't keep these at home anymore. but you also want to consider the market. collecting art is very much like investing in the stock market, and i hope you do this for love,

which you do. here's what's happened. i'm a former auction house employee. the chinese market is very, very high, great valuations right now. but you may want to consider all economies are really volatile. do you want to hold on, do you want to cash in now? it's also kind of like the housing market. you want to take that into consideration. >> right. and when you cash in, there are taxes to remember that he's going to have to pay on any earnings he gets from selling these, correct? >> u.s. tax code is very, very clear. if you sell anything for a profit, you owe taxes on that profit. right now, we'll see what happens. but capital gains last year around 15% or so. you want to take that into consideration. but also, too, make sure that you have the will and the trust and this is also added to that. so that if you were to gift these, either to a museum or to a family members, that you're tax-protected. so want to make sure you have an accountant or someone working with you on that. so the tax code is clear. however, there are issues, should you decide to leave these to someone else. >> doug, does this feel

completely overwhelming, do you know what you're going to do? >> no, not really. but it's just kind of taking it a day at a time. >> yeah. there is probably an emotional part of this for you, too, because you bought them because you loved them. >> right. >> and you appreciate them. >> well, i mean, i always kind of had the investment part of it in mind. there's an old chinese saying that "governments and currencies may come and go, but good antiques are forever." >> and that's true. and what he did right, very, very smart. he knows the market. you were lucky, will you also smart about what you bought. he did what i tell all people who are inn vesting. buy and hold. he held on to them for a long time. >> doug, all things considered, it's a good problem to have. congratulations. >> thank you. >> and carmen, thank you so much for being with us, as well. still ahead, from tea cups to a wheel-powered tortoise. we'll explain. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

still to come on "today," amanda knox is back in court today. we're live from italy with the latest. plus, laughing it up with the stars of "crazy, stupid, love." but first, these messages.

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take your painting skills to the next level at one of our free paint workshops.

>> good morning. i'm jennifer franciotti. the time is 8:25. here's a look at some of our top stories for you. city police are investigating another homicide after finding a body in a car yesterday. that body was found yesterday

afternoon at north gay and east preston streets. the police say the victim was an older man who was shot and stuffed in the trunk. now police are searching for a suspect and motive. >> two people shot in west baltimore. police arrived on the scene at drude hills and west -- druid hills and west hoffman streets. the victims were wound wounded by a shotgun blast. no word on their conditions or identities. >> police need your help finding the driver in a hit-and-run. another driver snapped this photo of the car moments after it hit a man on a bike tuesday night. it happened before 8:00 on bay head road in annapolis. the victim is recovering from his serious injuries at shock trauma. if you can help police call metro crime stoppers at 1-866-7-lock-up. >> the presidential historian chaveraged with stealing dwumets will -- documents will stay in federal custody over the

weekend. 63-year-old barry landeau is a flight risk and might try to destroy evidence if released. two men were indicted by a grand jury on tuesday. they are accused of stealing and selling documents, including papers signed by

>> good morning. the sun is out this morning. temperatures have been in the 70's to 80's. there are thin clouds filtering the sunlight coming from i front

looming to our south. along the front, there was rain to the west of us. that's all evaporated as it moved into our area. there are still spotty showers to our west. drier air, or less humid air to move in. although, temperatures won't cool that much. later this afternoon and this evening. probably near the virginia, north carolina line, there might be a few showers, but farther south in baltimore. we have a rain-free forecast. slightly less humid. it is not as hot. still hot by any definition. 90 to 95 the high. partly cloudy skies, especially to the south of us. winds will be northwesterly. similar conditions by tomorrow. monday, a slight chance for rain. rain chance goes up a bit by the end of next week. >> thank you for joining us. "11 news saturday morning" starts in 25 minutes.

we're back on this saturday morning, july 30th, 2011. if you can believe, this is the last full weekend of july, the summer is speeding by. temperatures are expected to reach the 90s here in the northeast today. and we have a great crowd here with us, spending part of their morning with us. outside of the plaza, i'm amy robach along with lester holt. and coming up, amanda knox and a question of dna. >> the young american former student back in an italy courtroom this morning. as you know, the dna evidence in the case that convicted her has been hammered by experts. those experts are now on the stand today. both sides get to question them. but obviously, the amanda knox camp feels very good now about the key evidence. we're going to get the very latest in a report coming up. and on a much lighter note, we have a very special guest with us today.

his name is gamara. he's sort of an all-terrain tortoise. that's because he has a swivel wheel for a front leg, apparently hungry too right now. surgeons put it there following an accident at his home. he's doing great now. we're going to meet him shortly. and we're going to meet the vets who gave him a new lease on life with that wheel. >> hopefully it's not like those supermarket carts, the one that is always stuck. actually, it's pretty amazing, he took to it right away. >> he did. acted like it was always there from the beginning. >> we'll find out about his story coming up. we'll also tell you about a new film coming up. you got to talk to the cast. >> it did. it got rave reviews called "crazy, stupid, love", a romantic comedy with a stellar cast. has serious moments, too. i sat down with steve carell and jewulianne moore. they acted out a scene for us. bill karins has a look at the weather for us. >> good morning, everyone.

this is ally from cincinnati. good morning, ally. what's your favorite thing to do back home? >> play video games. >> oh, we're going to play video games, huh? take it easy on me, though. my skills aren't quite as good as they used to be. let's take you through your weekend forecast. heavy rain possible, some of those thunderstorms late today in minnesota and also wisconsin. we're not watching much from tropical storm don, it's been totally dissipated and evaporated in texas. so maybe a few showers. that's about it. as we go into your sunday forecast, probably the worst weather, best chance for a rainout would be through the carolinas. they need the rain, but could possibly ruin your afternoon plans with some heavy, rain, lightning and showers scattered to north florida. thor >> good morning. a little warm this morning. haze in the atmosphere as we look at the j.f.x. expressway. maybe an isolated stormupcoming.

and it's a requirement here at the "today" show to embarrass our interns whenever their families are here. this is anna's mother, and this is anna's aunt. we want to show anna. have any good words to say about her? rjts . >> anna, behave. >> oh, a little dirt there. blackmail her. anna and me, back to lester. bill, thanks. amanda knox says she did not kill her british roommate in 2007. and today, the american is back in court for what could be a make or break hearing on her bid for freedom. at the center of today's session is the dna evidence that was used to convict her for murder. nbc's keith miller is live in italy with more. keith, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. well, today was the

prosecution's day to try to refute the independent panel of forensic experts who delivered testimony that the dna evidence used to convict amanda knox is unreliable. knox appeared boy ant as she entered the court today. her mother was there to offer support in the final stages of the appeal. the judge started proceedings, reading a letter from the head of italy's police forensic team, defending the professionalism of his officers. in an earlier session, court appointed scientists testified they discovered more than 50 breeches of international forensic protocols in the dna used to convict knox and her former boyfriend. the two were convicted of murdering knox's roommate, meredi meredi meredi meredith kercher, an exchange student from england. on scientific review, the alleged murder weapon was found not to contain dna material from the victim, as the prosecution

contended. police forensic teams were accused of shoddy work that resulted in what the experts called a bungled case. that testimony, according to a leading criminal attorney in rome, appears to seriously undermine the prosecution's case. >> it is a tremendous, tremendous advantage and victory for amanda knox. because for an appellate court to request a review of the evidence means that the appellate court has already made an initial determination that the evidence used to convict amanda in trial level was flawed. >> reporter: the prosecution in rebuttal attempted to discredit the scientists, drawing a warning from the judge. the knox family were cautious, but optimistic.

>> i'm really hopeful that it will just become even clearer that the way the evidence was handled was, you know, inappropriate, and that this has all been a big mistake and two innocent people have been locked up. >> reporter: the appeals judge at the end of this trial has three options. he can overturn the conviction, reduce the prison sentence, or impose a harsher sentence if new evidence sways the case. the wheels of italian justice move ever so slowly. there are at least another half-dozen sessions required for rebuttals and closing arguments. although italy goes on official vacation beginning august 1st, not ending until september, so we're not expecting a verdict in this case, lester, until late september, perhaps october. >> keith miller in italy for us. steve moore is a former fbi agent closely following the amanda knox case. thank you so much for coming on. >> good morning, lester. >> such important evidence, the dna. how could that end up being so wrong?

>> it's so wrong, because it was kind of made up. it just wasn't there from the beginning. i don't know how you make a mistake that big. it kind of boggles my mind. they said the victim's blood was on it. these experts from the university that teach forensics says there was starch from rye bread on it. that's a big difference if your forensic people can't tell the difference. >> i know you have been investigating for some time, and of the mind that two people have been wrongfully convicted here. but as part of the investigation, you reviewed some of the crime scene tapes. >> i reviewed all of the crime scene tapes. >> based on what you saw as a trained investigator, were you surprised the d.a. was ultimately discredited? >> no, i was surprised that anything was accepted in that court. that was some of the most ridiculous, horrific forensic work i ever saw. i mean, they seemed to think that gloves are magic. that if you put them on, you can touch anything and nothing is transferred back and forth. gloves are fine, but you have to

change them. if you are in a doctor's office and the doctor came in with dirty gloves and said let's start, you would say change those things and he would say no, i've got gloves on, i'm fine. it doesn't work unless you change them. >> let's talk about the knife. the knife allegedly had dna. now they can't find it. does it surprise you -- no matter who did this scene, does it surprise you at a scene as bloody as this was there wouldn't be more found on the knife if, in fact, it was the murder weapon? >> if it was the murder weapon, there would have been dna all over it. we already know that it wasn't bleach-cleaned or there wouldn't be starch from rye bread in it. the prosecution -- i knew from my investigations that blood would slide between the tang and the handle of a knife. that's where you're going to find the latent stuff. the prosecution fought against having the handles removed. i would have gfought of the handles removed if i was the proce prosecut prosecutor. there is something seriously wrong with this. >> when you say something

seriously wrong, they use international norms as a standard here. and i know a lot of people have questioned the italian system of justice. the fact is, when you get to investigating a crime scene and dna, are those pretty universal across the field? >> they're as universal as surgery. i mean, you don't have an italian lung surgery and an american lung surgery. you have internationally accepted standards. forensics isn't an art. forensics isn't -- i think i'll do it this way. forensics is a science. and you have to do it the same way everywhere. >> and so what's left? if you take out the dna evidence, is there any other evidence that's still potentially presents a problem to amanda knox? >> what this case is based on is a bunch of lies and innuendo and two pieces of dna. the dna is gone. so what you have are lies and innuendo. they are going to throw things out like, blood spatters here that can't be explained. so if they can't be explained, they must be amanda's. if they can't explain anything, they just assume it's a

amanda's. when there is no reason to assume that, there is no evidence to support it. what they are doing is saying, if we don't know what something is, we can assume anything, and we choose to assume it's a amanda. not the man whose dna was found in the victim. >> all right. steve moore, good to have you on. thank you very much. >> thanks, lester. up next, keep on moving, we'll meet the 23-pound tortoise with a new lease on life. first, these messages. [ male announcer ] new glidden brilliance 2n1 paint and primer, paint supplies and... moving boxes. ♪ hey, i just finished painting in the kitchen. why is he still here? i think we should keep it. it speaks to me. [ voice ] don't paint me. yeah...no. he's gotta go. [ male announcer ] for quick, easy coverage, get glidden brilliance 2n1 paint and primer. performs like paint twice its price. plus other low prices every day on everything. save money. live better. walmart. it's a cloud of depression.

and although you've been on an antidepressant for at least six weeks, you're frustrated that your depressive symptoms are still with you. seroquel xr, when added to an antidepressant, is approved for the treatment of major depressive disorder. for many, taking seroquel xr with an antidepressant was proven more effective for treating unresolved symptoms of depression than an antidepressant alone. call your doctor if you have unusual changes in mood, behavior, or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. elderly dementia patients taking seroquel xr have an increased risk of death. call your doctor if you have fever, stiff muscles, and confusion, as these may be signs of a life-threatening reaction or if you have uncontrollable muscle movements, as these could become permanent. high blood sugar has been reported with seroquel xr and medicines like it and in extreme cases can lead to coma or death. your doctor should check for cataracts. other risks include increased cholesterol and weight gain

as well as seizures, dizziness on standing, drowsiness, impaired judgment and trouble swallowing and decreases in white blood cells, which can be fatal. use caution before driving or operating machinery. for more help putting distance between you and your depression, ask your doctor about adding seroquel xr today. learn more at seroquelxr.com. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. when an african tortoise was injured in april, he was faced with one less limb. thanks to washington university, he is now able to move around thanks to a wheel in place of of his missing limb. joining us are doctor nicole

finch and dr. courtney watkins, and gamara, the tortoise. good morning to all of you. >> good morning. >> i love that he's got a healthy appetite. good to know. it's a good sign, right? is dr. watkins, i want to begin with you. the surgery took place a few months ago. we can see gamara is a healthy eater. but other than that, how is he doing? >> he's otherwise very healthy. he -- he recovered quite well from the surgery. he did have an initial injury to that limb that necessitated us removing it. but he is, as you can see, doing quite well at this point. >> yeah, and dr. watkins, take me back to april 22nd. it's unclear exactly how gamara was injured, but we know that his limb was badly burned. can you walk me through the procedure of removing his limb and then attaching that wheel? how did you come up with the idea? >> well, it's not a completely novel idea. it's been done before, where wheels have been put on

tortoises that have limited mobility. and so with his injury, it was very clear that we needed to remove that limb. and so the limb was just too badly damaged and couldn't be saved. and so with him being such a large tore as it, we figured this would be a good way to keep him mobile. >> and dr. watkins, it looks like it worked. how did he wake up feeling about this new appendage? >> he didn't seem to mind it at all. he actually started cruising around pretty eagerly. he has a bit of an awkward gait, but we figured that this would be a good compromise between keeping him mobile and also keeping him comfortable while he's resting. >> he's figuring it out. dr. finch, gamara is only 12 years old, so he will continue to grow, actually, quite large. how often then will you have to put on a new set of wheels? >> well, the rate at which reptiles grow kind of depends on

their husbandry and how well they're kept. and obviously with the way he's eating now, he could grow pretty quickly. so we're just going kind of have to wait and see. but i would suspect that he'll probably be good for about a year. and by then we'll know kind of how fast he's going to grow and how often we're going to have to change this. >> and dr. finch, i understand he might outlive us all. he's got quite a large life span, as well. how do all of the other animals react to his wheel? is there any reaction? >> not really. we have another -- a different type of tortoise in the ward that doesn't like him just because he's another tortoise. but he doesn't seem to notice the wheel. the gerbil rams him like he rams everybody else. nobody seems to notice that he's an amputee. >> we're so glad that gamara is doing so well. dr. nicole finch and dr. courtney watkins and gamara, as

well, thank you all for joining us today. >> thank you. coming up next, crazy-smart. we talk to the stars of the hot new romantic comedy. but first, this is "today" on nbc. o

during a summer blockbuster season filled with everything from big action to wizards, one film is standing out for its heart. take a look. >> i'm so mad at you. i'm really mad at you for what you did. but i'm mad at myself too. i should not have jumped out of that car. i should have fought for you. because you fight for your soul mates. >> i miss you too. >> the movie is "crazy, stupid love" and it stars steve carell and julianne moore and they're

here. good morning. >> good morning. >> this isn't your typical romantic comedy, it has some very serious moments. in fact, it opens up with julianne, your character, blind-siding steve's character, telling him you want a divorce. and yet there are some laugh-out-loud, historical, funny moments. how did you guys balance that? >> there's a fine line, i think, and we all agreed between the comedy and the drama. and i think the movie strikes that balance. you know what? let's recreate some of these scenes for you. right now. shall we? >> right here? >> this is a dramatic scene between us. ready? okay, now, try to cry. >> it's happening. it's happening. look at her eyes. >> i miss you too. >> i miss us >> wow! look at her. >> it's amazing. unbelievable. >> he knows that about me. >> we are magic. >> you are magic on the screen. i will be completely unobjective here. it was phenomenal.

i loved the movie, it was great, i laughed, i cried, better than "cats." in terms of the script it really showed that sometimes adults don't know best. that was a nice, interesting twist. you have your -- your children are having issues with love as well at the same time. what was that like for you all to play all these different dimensions? >> i liked the fact that we made -- adults not always knowing best. but this couple does seem to give up very quickly. they're like they have hit the wall and don't know what to do so they just sort of abandon it all. and it is ultimately our son who says, hey, you know, maybe try a little harder. >> he kind of says man up, dad. >> he sort of does. and he's right. and i think you can learn a lot from kids. because theirs is a very unfiltered sort of, uncynical view of the world. >> and julianne, your character goes through a mid life crisis. and untypical, i think from a lot of scripts and a lot of movies, you have her having the affair, her asking for the divorce. and yet i thought you remained very likeable throughout the entire movie.

>> she is likeable. >> people felt sorry for you. you were struggling. >> thank you. >> was it interesting to play that type of a role for a woman, which is atypical in a lot of movies? >> i like that, it was something of a romantic comedy that someone was not being -- wasn't completely virtuous. was sort of -- was flawed, and was going down the wrong road. i mean, i thought it was interesting and more humane and more realistic, frankly. . right. the mothers in the movie, ryan gosling's character, who is so great, trying to teach you how to be sexy again, young again, be a ladies' man again. was a lot of that new to you, as well? were you getting tips along the way? >> no, i was giving ryan a lot of tips, actually. because -- >> he needs some help. >> yeah. the roles were very much reversed. i would see him stumble all of the time. and women hate him, in real life. there's no -- there's noin twinsic appeal to him. so i schooled him off camera. i think he's doing fine. he may -- i heard a rumor that

he went out on a date with a girl once about a year ago. and -- and i'm happy for him. >> steve carell, julianne moore. the movie is "crazy stupid love" now in theatres. thanks so much. we appreciate it. >> thank you. and we're back right after this. ♪ i've found a new love a zero-calorie true love ♪ ♪ that comes from a leaf sweet surprise ♪ ♪ it's natural, guilt-free no artificiality ♪ ♪ it won't land on my hips or my thighs ♪ [ announcer ] truvia. honestly sweet.

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that just makes the stories even better. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. add some style to your sink, with this moen banbury faucet for the new lower price of 79 bucks. that's going to do it for us. our thanks to richard lui and bill karins. tomorrow we're going to have much more on the debt ceiling debate as the clock continues to tick. >> we'll see you then. i'll see you later tonight on

"nbc nightly news." until then, so long and thanks for watching. >> the morning. welcome to 11 news saturday morning. >> two people wounded in a shooting in west baltimore. police arrived at the scene on

west hoffman street just after midnight. initial reports indicate they were wounded by shotgun blast. no word on their identities or their condition this morning. one construction worker and another seriously injured after a 25-ton wall collapsed on the site of anne arundel mills slots parlor. he was working on a lift around 10:00 a.m. yesterday when a 30 x 40 wall collapsed on him. another man was taken to shock trauma and is now listed in fair condition. more evidence about declining performance from baltimore city school students. the school board released results from the national standardized tests. a first and second graders found that the reading and math scores have dropped from previous years. they are still outperforming

more than half of their peers across -- peers across the country. he's as changes to improve performance are already being put in place. >> up next, answers to your pet questions. >> and time is running out as the senate rejects the house plan. will a deal to a fully -- avoid default come in time? >> a second violent incident in as many weeks. >> it cannot say we will cool down much, but will not be as hot or humid coming up.

>> live, local, late breaking. >> welcome to 11 news saturday morning. >> first, a checkout side with meteorologist john collins. hot is hot. >> i can only by the numbers that i see come in. i have been inside 5 cents. i did not a chance to go outside. it is humid air inside, but we will not be as warm or yemen later today. -- more or humid later today. not exactly january outside. 63% humidity in that n